SERIES 10, EPISODE 2

Please feel free to comment on my review.

It’s time to talk about the second episode of Series 10 of ‘Call the Midwife’. Sadly, I found this one a bit of a downer, especially when it came to a certain plotline that began in Series 10’s first episode. 😦

There’s also an uncomfortable subplot that involves a woman getting pregnant whilst her husband’s away. Thankfully that subplot is resolved quite happily and there are good moments to talk about. 🙂

The episode takes place in April 1966. Ella Bruccoleri as Sister Frances has a tricky situation to deal with once a pregnant woman confides in her. This is the pregnant woman unfaithful to her husband.

Before checking out this episode, I saw Ella Bruccoleri recently in the second episode of Series 2 of the new ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ series. I’m pleased I’ve seen her in more than one TV show.

I like how Sister Frances has become more confident as a character, especially when helping Lisa O’Connor as Jacinta O’Malley. She has had two years experience to deal with someone like Jacinta. 🙂

Sister Frances does her best to see things from Jacinta’s point of view, especially when the mother considers giving up the baby for adoption before her hubby finds out. It’s a tough decision to make.

Also, Sister Frances purchases women’s magazines to learn more about what Jacinta is like. That was surprising to find when watching Sister Frances’ character as it’s something she’s never done before.

It was also nice to hear more about Sister Frances’ background on what she was like before she became a nun. Sister Frances tries to hide the magazines from Sister Julienne to avoid being told off.

But equally surprising, Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne approves of Sister Frances taking an interest in women’s magazines to support Jacinta. She’ll have to leave them in Nonnatus House’s living room.

Not take them to her bedroom, of course. It was tense when the husband, Killian Coyle as Dessy O’Malley, returned from sea to reunite with his family, only to find his wife has been unfaithful to him.

Dessy is quick to dismiss Jacinta. I liked the scene where Sister Frances tries persuading Dessy not to judge her wife too harshly and to support her. Dessy doesn’t seem to be very willing to do that sadly. 😦

Thankfully, when Jacinta is about to give birth in the bedroom, Dessy, after coming out of the bathroom, does all he can to help Jacinta and even calls the midwife. He even helps revive the baby.

Yeah, Jacinta gives birth in the bedroom and Dessy has to rub the baby’s back in order to wake him up. Sister Frances and Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane turn up to attend the remaining work for Jacinta.

I don’t know if Dessy has forgiven Jacinta by the end of the episode. But at least, Dessy isn’t going to abandon Jacinta and their children as well as the new baby boy when he goes back out to sea again.

I liked the subplot involving Helen George as Trixie where he discovers something disturbing at the Lady Emily clinic. She’s appalled and angry when she witnesses that legal abortions take place there.

Trixie makes her views clear to Richard Dillane as Mr. Scarisbrick when she confronts him in his office. She also expresses her anger when she gives her report to Sister Julliene about the clinic here.

This dampens Sister Julienne’s new venture to work with private clinics and it hits a stumbling block. Sister Julienne soon informs Stephen McGann as Dr. Turner that she’s cancelling the new venture. 🙂

I wish that clash of opinions between Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner had been explored more when watching the first two episodes. At least Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner have reconciled their differences. 🙂

Trixie also deals with an upsetting situation. The recent mother Jo Herbert as Fiona Aylward dies at the Lady Emily. Olly Rix as the husband Matthew becomes a widower and is to look after his baby. 😦

There’s a little subplot involving Zephryn Taitte as Cyril helping the Clarke family, including Ashley Campbell as Mr. Clarke and Teri-Ann Bobb-Baxter as Mrs. Clarke, when they’re evicted from their home.

I liked it when Sister Frances tried to be encouraging towards Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan and even cheered her up for a bit. Whether it helped in Sister Monica Joan’s crisis of faith, I don’t know. 😐

‘Series 10, Episode 2’ rating – 6/10

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